Charles w



(No Model.)

C. W. COHN. CLOTH CUTTING T001..

ML f5;

WITNESSES;

UNTTED STATES PATENT QEETCE.

CHARLES W. COHN, OF NEI/V YORK, N. Y.

CLOTH-CUTTING Tool..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,969, dated April 20, 1897.

Appgation led December 7, 1896. Serial No. 614,694. (No model.)

To LZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. GoHN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Cutting Holes in Fabrics and for other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cutting-tools, and is especially applicable to tools for cutting holes in fabrics or other articles in the form of thin sheets.

In manufacturing ornamental articlessuch as doilies, table-covers, and other articles-it is common to employ a ground fabric, as an imperforate linen sheet, for example, to sew or form upon this a fanciful design in braid, thread, or cord, in loops and scrollwork, and then to cut out portions of the foundation-sheet which are inclosed within certain of these ornamental iigures to .produce'an open-work or lace-like effect. The portions to be cut out have heretofore been removed by means of scissors, the operator endeavoring to follow as closely as possible the irregular lines of the scrollwork without cutting intoor injuring the latter. It has been necessary to rst insert the point of the shears in the part to be `cut to make a starting-hole and then trim around the edges with great care. Much time and skill are required to so cut such articles, making them very eX- Vpensive of manufacture, and the resulting holes are necessarily so irregular and imperfect in their tracing of the outline of the scrollwork that the imperfections of cutting are readily noticeable.

My invention aims to provide means applicable for cutting such articles, as Well as for analogous uses, by means of Whichmechanical power can be employed for effecting the cutting, and the holes can be readily,

smoothly, and accurately cut by the operator,

who will merely have to guide the cutter as the pattern requires.

To this end in carrying out my invention I provide an improved cutting-tool comprising a tubular handle, a reciprocating blade therein, means for reciprocating the blade, means for guiding and means for adjusting it, and improvements in the blade and handle adapting them to the work to be performed.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of the preferred form of my improved cutter in' operation for cutting a hole in a piece of ornamented fabric. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, cut on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the tool shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, cut on the line 4t 4 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the lower end of the tool. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of tool.

Referring to the drawings, let A designate the tool as a whole; B, the driving mechanism therefor; C, the handle thereof; D, the cutter or blade; E, the hand of the user, and F the. fabric being cut.

The tool may be of any suitable construction which can be moved over the article to be out, and has a reciprocating blade, a suitable handle, and proper driving mechanism so united and mounted that the user can hold and operate the tool while watching the cutting operation. In the construction shown the blade D is carried Within the handle C, a frame G is carried at the top of the handle, and an electromotor B is used as the driving mechanism, this motor being fed by conductors H, and comprising magnets ct, operating a iiy-Wheel armature D, which revolves on a shaft c, having a crank or eccentric I, to which is connected a connecting-rod J, carrying at its end the blade D.

According to the preferred form of my invention the blade D has a wide flat cutting end d, having a semicircular or tapering edge e crossing its end diametrically, the curve or taper of which extends from one side to the other side of the blade and at each side joins an upright or vertical side cutting edge f thereon. Above its cutting end the blade is best formed of a fiat body g, rectangular in cross-section and having on its upper end a screw-threaded shank h, which is adjustably screwed into a screw-threaded socket i in the rod J, which at its outer end has a screw-threaded socket IOO 7.1, adjustably engaging the screw-threaded end of an eye-coupling l, which passes over the crank l. The handle C has a smooth upper end nl, which hts adjustably into an internal smooth socket 11,y in the frame G and is clamped therein b v a set-screw or other suitable cla-mp L to hold it at the desired adjustment. Frein this point the handle extends downwardly, with any suitable external contour for grasping purposes, and at its lower end it has a tapering smooth bearing portion o, which is of oblong or elliptical crosssec tion at its end to correspond with the direction of the cutting edge and the long axis of the blade-socket, thus serving as means indicating on the handle the direction ofthe cutting edge, as shown in Fig. 3, being rounded off from its iuclining side walls to its end in gradual curves on all sides, so that it can be freely pushed in any direction over fabric or any other rough surface. Internally the handle is formed with a large socket j), extending from its upper end well toward its lower end, beyond which is a smaller cylindrical socket q, united with the socket j) by beveled walls r, which socket q meets asmall socket s of oblong rectangular cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of the body g of the blade, which socket extends through the handle to the lower end thereof, with parallel llat side walls and parallel narrow side walls, the latter terminating at a point z', from which the narrow sides of the socket are made up of outwardly-ilaring walls u, which begin at the point of uppermost movement of the cutting edges of the blade and are flared suflieiently to avoid danger of contact of this edge with them. The sockets s and q are united by beveled walls uf.

\Vhen the blade and its connecting-rod J have been properly adjusted ,they are inserted into the end of the handle until the body of the blade is seated in the socket s and the cylindrical and reduced endj of the rod J is seated in the socket q, the coupling Z having first been connected to the crank I. The passing of the blade into the handle is facilitated by the tapering walls r and w. The handle is then passed into the socket yn in the frame G until the desired adjustment is obtained, preferably until the edge of the blade does not protrude when the crank is in the uppermost position, and then the handle is set relatively to the frame by the clamp L. Thereupon rotation of the crank will reciprocate the blade out of and into the handle to the extent of the throw of the crank. Should this throwbe greater than desired, the handle can be adjusted outwardly to leave a greater portion of the throw of the blade within the handle, or the connection through the rod J can be shortened or lengthened to vary the stroke. The fiat body and ilat side socket s will prevent accidental turning or twisting of the blade and hold it non-rotative. This socket will guide the blade exactly and the socket q will guide the end of the rod J, so

that between the rod and blade there will be no spring, all the distortion due tothe crank motion being taken up in the rod above the socket q and in the socket p. For this purpose the end of the rod at j is made cylindrical and a snug fit with the socket q.

The tapered or rounded bottom edge of the knife and the keen sharp side edges thereof will permit its feed over the surface to be cut without danger of catching and permit the continuous cutting operation. lts reciprocation will be suited in rapidity to the work to be performed. 'lhe cutting strain on the progressing edge will not dull the opposite edge, by reason of the guidance of its body g in the socket S and the flaring walls of the end socket u.

ln operation the article to be cut will be laid or fastened upon a suitable surface and the user will then trace along the edges of the upturned ornamentation or braid, cutting the portions to be removed from within the latter and watching the blade as the cutting progresses. The blade can be pushed either edge irst and worked with facility into and out of corners and along all irregular curves.

It will be seen that my invention provides improved means for cutting holes in fabrics and for other purposes, and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular details of construction and arrangement set forth as constituting its preferred form, but that it can be availed of aecording to such modifications as circumstances orthe judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate and for any desired uses.

The construction shown in Fig. 7 shows a modified cutting edge on the blade, the lower end c being curved and the side edges f being toothed or serrated, so that the blade will have a saw effect, and these edges being tapered away from the walls of the socket in the handle G, so that contact with the latter will be avoided.

Vhat l claim is, in tools for cutting holes in fabrics and for like purposes, the follo\\'i1igdefined novel features and combinations, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, namely:

i. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics and the like, comprising a tubular handle having a wide, smooth lower bearing end for sliding over the fabric, a reciprocating blade therein having a cutting edge crossing its end diametrically, and alternately moving within, and projecting beyond, the bearing end of said handle, and means recip- IOO IIO

rocating said blade, whereby the handle can be held by the hand and the tool moved over the fabric with its working end in contact with the surface thereof, for severing the fabric as the blade reciprocates.

2. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics and for like uses, comprising a tubular handle having a smooth outer bearing end for resting on and sliding over the fabric, and having an internal blade-socket having flat walls, in combination with a Hat-sided blade fitting said socket, having cutting edgesat its sides and across its end, and alternately moving entirely into, and partly out of, said socket, and means carried by the other end of said handle reciprocating such blade in the socket of said handle.

3. The improved tool for cuttingholes in fabrics and the like, comprising a reciprocating flat-sided cutting-blade, in combination with a tubular handle inclosing such blade, means reciprocating the latter connected to such handle, such handle having a reduced end at the cutting end of said blade of oblong cross-section having rounded edges extending from its sides to its end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4f. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics and the like, comprising a frame G, in combination with a handle C having internal sockets p q and s, a blade D in the latter socket, a rod J connected to said blade within said socket q, means for reciprocating said blade, and a crank connection between such means and said rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES W. COHN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. FRASER, THOMAS F. WALLACE. 

